Heart Strings:

A Run for the Roses
By Jerry Harpt
Sometimes it takes a hardship to learn the lesson of what real love is.

It was two days before the mile-stone, Jody’s 40th birthday, in 1992, that she got the devastating news. A big party had been planned by Jody and her friends, but that was before Jody, an elementary school teacher, found out that she had breast cancer.

She withdrew. She withdrew from the party plans and her desire for celebrating, thwarted by the news. Her friends, both saddened and disappointed, searched for new ways to support her.

It took time for Jody to accept her new situation. She never had to deal with life and death situations that were so close to her. With the help of a devoted husband, a loving family and her friends, she gradually worked through the darker moments. In time, her cancer was arrested and she felt renewal. By then, her lifestyle included a daily two-mile run, early each morning.

In 2002, Jody was blessed to be approaching yet another milestone in her life. Like any other day, she would start that one with her 5:15 a.m. running route through the neighborhood where she lives in Marinette, Wisconsin.

Jody’s friends were ready to celebrate with Jody and also intent on doing something special. They felt that she still had some attention coming from a celebration she didn’t feel like taking part in 10 years earlier. The day before Jody’s 50th birthday, they went door to door, on her running route, soliciting neighbors to get up at 5 a.m. to wish Jody a happy birthday when she ran past them. Not only did the neighbors jumped at the invitation but also people from throughout the city, who heard about the gesture and asked to be part of the honor.

On her birthday, at 5:15 a.m., Jody started her two-mile jogging route. To her surprise, a close neighbor standing on the road gave her a rose and wished her a happy birthday. Jody blushed, took the rose, thanked her neighbor, and continued on her route. Soon another neighbor appeared, gave her a rose, and wished her a happy birthday. Before long she was running with an armful of roses, some given to her by people she had never met before.

Near the end of her route Jody approached her home with 48 roses cradled in her arms. The rose total reached 50 when she stepped on to the lawn of her own home and was greeted by her daughter, Madeline, and her husband, Mike.

Because of her cancer, Jody was able to really know the gift of love.